Deadly Letters
by GrandeCoven
Summary: Castle and his friends all have secrets they'll do anything to protect but someone just won't let them rest. What happens when secrets are revealed, friendships are tested, and they have to find a killer hidden among them?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay so And Then There Were None is probably my favorite book ever, and I'm obsessed with crime/murder mysteries so I just had to do this. I add my own twists so it won't follow the novel exactly, but the basic plot is the same. I hope you guys enjoy it, and I should update once a week or aster, depending on how fast I can translate my chapters into English.

xoxo Emily

It was a warm spring day when the letters arrived. Plain white envelopes, no return adress, just a sheet of paper inside and an address written on the front of the envelope. Each piece of paper would end up being the deadly connection between everyone.

"Hey Castle, are you planning one of those murder mystery dinners again? You do know that giving me an invite is kinda useless"

It was a Sunday night, and everyone was gathered and Castle's loft to hang out. Even Kate's boss, Victoria Gates, was there. Surprisingly enough she was actually a lot softer when not surrounded by criminals. Kate studied the envelope in her hand, trying to figure out what her husband had planned next.

"No, I got an envelope too. I heard some of my writer friends discussing something like that, it's probably them"

Lanie reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope.

"But I got an invite too?"

Esposito and Ryan both frowned and reached into their pockets to retrive the similair envelopes.

"How come we got them? Are you sure it's not some lame attempt at a joke?"

Now it was Gate's turn to reach into her jacket and grab a white envelope.

"I understand you guys getting invited, but why me?"

Alexis opened her mouth to say something, before stopping and running upstairs.

Martha wandered into the living room, glass of wine in hand and an envelope in the other.

"Hey Richard, do you know anything about this party I was invited to?"

Esposito laughed and glanced at Castle.

"Seriously? Your mom? That's lame-"

Lanie hit Esposito with a pillow and glared at him.

"That's enough you dork. And any party that involves me can't be lame-"

Just then Alexis rushed into the room, holding a sheet of paper.

"I got a letter too, I bet it's gonna be a super cool party-"

Castle sighed and waved his envelope in the air.

"I did not organize anything. But since we were all invited, I think it would be a good idea to read what we're getting ourselves into"

Everyone opened their letters and began to read.

"You've been invited to-"

"2 weeks of fun parties and bonding-"

"Each of you has a unique trait that makes you special-"

"I've included the address below, and given you all tickets to get to the mansion-"

"Sincerely, An Admirer."

Silence filled the room as they all finished reading.

"So...Do you think we should go?"

Martha looked around the room at everyone.

"Well it does sound kinda cool..."

Ryan grinned as he began to text his wife about what has just happened.

"Are you sure it's safe? You never know-"

"Oh c'mon Kate, it can't be that bad!" interrupted Lanie.

There was a murmur of agreement, and everyone decided to go pack their bags and meet at the ferry station in the morning. They went home falling asleep, not knowing the next 2 weeks would be the scariest of their lives.


	2. We're Not In High School Musical

AN: I'm still trying to figure out what I'm gonna do, changing a few things, so we'll see how it goes. , I have about 12 chapters planned out, but I'm sure it will be longer. I had to keep rewriting this because my computer turned off like 10 times. Seriously. Anyways. I hope you enjoy xoxo

Chapter 2: We're Not In High school Musical

Everyone was gathered in a group, near the front of the mansion that would be their home for the next 2 weeks. Ryan's wife Jenny had also been invited, and chatting away excitedly. They were all waiting for their host to come greet them, and chatted among themselves while they all waited. The ferryman had dropped them off and given them instructions on how to get to the house, promising to be back in 2 weeks. Kate could see a clump of trees to her right, a cliff to her left, and flowers all around the mansion. At least there plenty of places for her to relax if people got too wild. God knows what Rick and the other could get into during the next 2 weeks.

"Hey, does anyone else hear that noise?"

Lanie had stopped talking and was looking off into the distance. Everyone stopped talking, and the sound of crunching gravel could be heard coming towards them.

"Wait, did we leave someone behind? Or is our host late to their own party?"

Ryan was thinking out loud while they all watched a grey jeep approach them. It stopped in front of them, and everyone held their breath as the door opened. Whoever it was either had bad time keeping or really liked making a big entrance...

When the person jumped out, Rick began to curse.

"What? Not happy to see me?"

Rick's ex-wife Meredith stood in front of them, smiling like everything was perfectly normal. Everyone was watching Rick, mostly feeling bad for him.

"Seriously? You organized all this? Why-"

Meredith took a step back and raised her hands.

"Woah woah slow down. I didn't do anything, I was invited. No need to explode on me. Besides, I can now spend time with my daughter-"

Rick rolled his eyes, but let himself relax. If anyone could survive living with her for 2 weeks, it ws him.

"C'mon guys, we're all in this together. No need to fight"

Alexis chimed in from the back. Seeing her parents fight wasn't exactly something she enjoyed.

"I really hope there's lots of wine in the house, I could do with a glass right about now"

Martha was hot and thirsty, if their host didn't show up soon she would just have to go in herself.

"Should we go knock on the door, maybe he doesn't know we're here?"

Kate looked around, seeing everyone nod in agreement, and began to walk towards the house. Everyone followed her, ready to dump their stuff and start hanging out. Kate pressed the doorbell and waited for someone to open the door. After a few moments everyone started to shift uneasily, not sure what to do.

"Maybe they're asleep, or weren't expecting us right now-"

A loud electronic voice interrupted Kate.

"Hello guests. I see you have all made it safely to the house, I ask that you all put your stuff away and get ready for dinner."

Everyone jumped, Meredith screamed, Javiar reached for his gun, and Rick looked around widely.

"Did... we just get greeted by a machine? Oh boy what if our host is a robot-"

Everyone rolled their eyes and Kate pulled Rick inside. Martha let out a gasp of excitement upon seeing the inside of the house. It was richly decorated, every object and color complimenting each other, and a giant chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"Well whoever our host is, they must be loaded..." Jenny said, looking around with wide eyes.

"How about we put away our stuff like the thing said and get ready?"

Everyone nodded and headed off in different directions. Rick and Kate got a room with a view of the gardens, Alexis and Martha took the room by the forest, Ryan and Jenny took a room near the dining room, Lanie and Esposito claimed the room the pool, leaving Meredith and Victoria to take the room overlooking the back gardens. Everyone felt bad that Victoria got stuck with Meredith, but not bad enough to swap with her of course

"I swear Castle, I don't know how you put up with that women for years. It's been less then an hour and she's already complaining about everything. She claimed we've all given her a headache, but I'm sure one of her many fancy pills will fix that. I'm starting to understand murderers better"

Victoria wandered into their room, and flopped down in a chair. Though not best friends with Rick by any means, she had warmed to him. It probably helped that he had bought her some expensive doll that she now kept in a glass case inside her office, like some sort of treasure. She was still working on calling him something other then "Castle" or "idiot writer boy" though.

"Having a small child running around really helps honestly"

Rick grinned as he threw the last of his clothes inside the closet.

"Can't you ask her to move into that room by the kitchen? I'm sure she'd love the extra closet space"

Kate gave her boss a sympathetic smile as she tucked her suitcase into the corner of the room.

"Jenny said there was something wrong with it, probably has a broken bed or something"

Victoria sighed and stood up,already dreading going back to a room with Meredith.

"Well I have to go get changed. If I'm not down in an hour, assume I killed Meredith and am currently on the run"

Rick laughed as Victoria left the room, and then quickly changed into a dress shirt and dark pants. Kate picked a loose purple dress and touched up her makeup.

"Attention guests. Dinner is ready, please come down to the dining room"

the electronic voice boomed through the house, giving Kate the shivers. Hopefully their host wouldn't use it for much longer.

"C'mon Kate, we shouldn't keep the others waiting."

Castle took her hand and they walked downstairs to the dining room. Everyone was already waiting, and once they saw Rick and Kate they all sat down.

No one knew just how much they'd soon be wishing they hadn't...


	3. Secrets Never Stay Buried

AN: Well happy 4th of July to all you Americans! I was gonna write this tomorrow because today is my sister's birthday, but we celebrated early so I have extra time today. I am sorry if there's any grammar/spelling issues, when I translate most of my writing from French sometimes I miss a few things and my word program sucks. Obviously I made up all the crimes, they are in no way canon but are necessary for the story. xoxo

Chapter 3: Secrets Never Stay Buried

A silver haired man in a tuxedo introduced himself as Giles, the Butler. He had been hired to cook, clean, and cater to every need of all the guests. He told them he wasn't sure who had hired him, but assured them that their host would dine with them tonight. There were a few questioning glances, but everyone seemed to accept the idea with little resistance. Giles served them baked salmon with a fresh salad and roasted potatoes, before returning to the kitchen

"Do you think this is some part of a game? Our host wants us to find them? Or they're trying to see who will lose it first?"

Rick smiled as he looked at all the already nervous faces around him. If their host wanted to play a game, he'd be the last one standing.

"Or maybe it's really a murder mystery game and we have to find out who killed them!"

Esposito looked over at Ryan and raised his eyebrows

"Hey! Why are you looking at me? I'm not the one who reached for a gun the second I heard an voice"

Esposito shrugged and looked at Jenny

"You know what they say about new parents. Much more likely to kill"

Martha laughed and got up from her seat.

"Does anyone want some wine? I'm gonna need if I want to survive with all of you for weeks"

Martha winked at them, and wandered into the kitchen to find out where the wine was stored.

Giles returned with dessert, apple pies and fresh fruit. Just as he placed it on the table, Martha returned with a bottle of red wine in one hand and a bottle of white wine in the other.

"I don't think even I could drink all the wine in this house, I guess I have to share"

Martha joked as she began to pour the wine.

"Sorry, can I have white? I don't really like red wine, it doesn't mix well with my pills."

Meredith held out her glass to Martha, who muttered something that sounded a lot like "spoiled brat" but Meredith didn't seem to hear.

Just as Martha finished and sat down, the electronic voice started speaking, giving everyone a scare.

 **"Did you enjoy dinner? I hope you did, because now It's time to sit back and chat. You do know why you're all here, right? Or maybe you've forgotten, I might as well remind you all."**

Everyone looked at each other, trying to remember any big events that would get them invited to this party.

 **"We all make mistakes, don't we? But sometimes you have to pay for those mistakes. Meredith, what ever happened to that man you hit after your huge movie premiere party? His poor widow and child, all alone in the world now..."**

Meredith went white and opened her mouth, but no words came out.

 **"Martha, are you always in a hurry? Like when you let that young women be crushed to death by a light because you were too busy learning lines? And you didn't even give a good performance..."**

Martha dropped her wine glass, her hand shaking

"That-that was an accident... so long ago, I didn't meant for it to happen-"

 **"Lanie, you sure love socializing and enjoying life to the fullest, I wonder how you'd feel if you were imprisoned for a crime you didn't commit. Like that man who lived his last years in a small cell, all alone, because of you..."**

"But- I just followed the evidence, I didn't know-"

Lanie could barely speak, tears already forming in her eyes.

 **"I wonder how hard it is to make up evidence... Oh wait, I can just ask Kate. Did you feel guilty, or did you just think about how good you'd look?"**

Kate felt the breath go out of her, no one knew about that.

"She was guilty, I just helped the DA put her away. I'm not a criminal-"

 **"Speaking of criminals, how does it feel to let one go and watch innocent people die Esposito? Was it difficult talking to their families, knowing you were the reason their loved one died?"**  
Esposito threw his wine glass at the wall, trying to take deep breaths.

 **"Rick, you know what it's like to abandon people and things. You've been divorced twice, you're always leaving people to do whatever you want, it's almost sad. But not as sad as your friend you left in the forest as a child. They never found the body, did they? How tragic..."**

Rick stood up and hit his fist on the table

"I DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE-"

 **"I suggest you sit down before someone gets hurt. Now where were we? Oh yes, Ryan. Did you ever visit the man you shot and paralyzed, or are you too much of a coward?"**

"I didn't mean- I-I-I- um"  
Ryan stuttered as he tried to explain himself

 **"Speaking of cowards, do you ever regret hurting that girl Alexis? You want to be the perfect child, but did you ever tell your parent about that girl who committed suicide at your school? The one you teased and refused to help?**

Alexis burst into tears and ran out the room, leaving everyone silent.

 **"Well, who's left? Jenny, do you still drive while distracted? Or did hitting and killing that mother of three give you a wake up call?"**

Jenny froze and looked around at everyone

"I just wanted to call Ryan and tell him Sarah Grace was sick-"

 **"So many excuses, no wonder you all got away with what you did. Now Victoria, the stern but fair boss. Well, fair most of the time anyways. Did you get the case of the man you fired because you were having a day, and he went home and killed his wife and children, then himself? Or did you justfile it away and continue on like everything was normal?"**

For the first time anyone could remember, Victoria was speechless.

 **"Now that all your secrets are out in the open, I'm sure you'll all be much more relaxed. Doesn't it feel good to let it off your chest? But that's enough of such a depressing subject. I'll see you all in the morning. If you don't die of course. Good night!"**

The whole room went quiet, no one knowing just what to say.

"I don't know what kind of sick joke this is, but I'm going to sleep. Goodnight everyone."

Meredith broke the silence as she got up from the table. She gulped down her wine, and picked up her purse before stopping.

She looked confused for a moment, then her eyes went wide.

"What's the problem Meredith? Cat got your tongue?"

Castle made a feeble attempt at a joke, but no one laughed. Meredith shook her head and started pointing at her throat, getting more frantic.

"Guys, I think she really is choking."

Lanie got up and rushed over to Meredith ust as she collapsed.

"Someone go call an ambulance, I can't find her pulse!"

Lanie began CPR, while Rick pulled out his phone and started dialing.

"Um, Lanie? There's no reception her, I can't call-"

"THEN GO FIND ANOTHER PHONE, I'M TRYING TO SAVE A LIFE HERE"

Lanie screamed, starting to push harder on Meredith's chest. Rick jumped and ran out the room.

After a minute Lanie stopped, and Kate ran over.

"Is she gonna be okay? Can I help-"

Lanie shook her head, and stood up

"She's gone. There's nothing we can do now Kate"

Just then, Rick ran back into the room, breathless.

"The phones... they, they don't work...You can save her, right?"

Rick stopped when he aw Meredith lying on the ground, not breathing.

"Rick, Rick I'm so sorry, Lanie tried to do something, but she's gone."

Kate reached out to put her hand over Rick's, but he flinched and stepped back

"This is just a cruel joke, Meredith will wake up any second and laugh and tell me I'm such a idiot-"

Kate could only watch Rick fall apart, unable to do anything.

"I hate to ask this, but how did she die?"

Ryan said as he slowly approached the body.

"Well it looked like she choked to death, but there had to be something that would close up her throat for that to happen. Something was put in her drink that killed her, but I can't be sure what..."

Everyone turned to stare at Giles, who looked confused.

"Wait, you think it was me? I promise you, this is the one story where the butler didn't do it"

"I think we should all go to sleep, we won't get anything done tonight. We can talk more tomorrow, right?"

Jenny looked around, and everyone nodded their agreement.

They all returned to their rooms, hoping it was all just a bad dream. Giles quietly moved Meredith's body to the room by the kitchen, cleaned up the spilled wine and broken glass, before retiring for the night.

...

The killer smiled as they planned their next murder. Meredith was so easy, but there was now a loose end that had to be tied up...


	4. Follow The Rules, Or Else

AN: I wrote this chapter earlier but I decided to take a few days to edit and kinda figure out where I'm going. I have to admit it was kinda hard to kill Meredith, only because the actress who portrayed her is one of my favorites so imagining her getting killed off hurts a bit. I threw in a fancy medical term here, I actually learned it om watching Body of Proof for like 2 weeks straight, but it fits and sound fancy so I had to. Anyways, if people were to leave reviews, that makes an author very happy and in turn the story gets better. Hint hint!

...

 **The house was pitch black, and everyone was asleep in their beds.**

 **Except one.**

 **Giles laid the candle on the desk, and began to rummage through all the drawers. Something one of the guests had said set off an alarm in his brain, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He could feel himself slowly starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together, one thing the host had mentioned off-handed seemed normal at the time, but now made Giles extremely suspicious.**

 **"Aha!"**

 **Giles held the piece of paper like a trophy, the last piece of the puzzle in place. The order form from the winery, the one that included the hosts description. When Giles read the paper, it shocked him to see who the form described. He had suspected a whole other person, but it all made sense know. Looks really could be deceiving. He wasn't sure exactly what he would do in the morning, but at least he had the evidence he needed. Giles tucked the piece of paper into his jacket, ready to return to his bed and expose the host in the morning.**

 **"Did you really think I would let you get away with this?"**

 **a voice hissed from behind him, causing Giles to jump and turn around.**

 **"I really did want to keep you, but I just can't have any loose ends"**

 **And before Giles could do anything, the killer plunged a knife into his chest, a wicked smile on their face. Giles fell to the floor, wishing he had taken that Hawaii vacation instead of this one last job. Lying on the beach sounded a lot better then lying on the floor, bleeding to death.**

 **Once Giles let out his final breath, the killer dragged his body into the room near the kitchen, placing him beside Meredith. The guests would find out his fate tomorrow, now they could go back to bed, because even a killer needs sleep.**

...

 **"Good Morning Guests! I hope you all had a good sleep, because you have a long day ahead of you."**

The guests were startled awake by the sound of the electronic voice booming through the house. No one had slept for more then a few hours, resulting in more then a few very irritated guests. Kate was the only one already awake, brushing her teeth in the bathroom, and nearly had a heart attack upon hearing the loud voice. The first thing Esposito did was reach for his gun, earning a snort from a still sleepy Lanie. Martha just groaned and put a pillow over her face. Whatever was being said probably wasn't important enough for her to get up. A few more minute, then she could get up, get a glass of wine, and find out what all the fuss was about.

It was almost 10am, and the guests were surprised Giles hadn't already woken them for breakfast. But after what happened last night, they could understand him sleeping in. No one really wanted to face the reality today, or ever.

 **"I'm afraid one of you broke the rules and had to be punished. But don't worry, I laid them to rest with Meredith so she has company.I really hope the rest of you are better at following rules, I'm looking forward to enjoying your company for the next 13 days. I'll talk to you all later, enjoy breakfast!"**

Kate rushed into their bedroom and let out a sigh of relief when she saw a Rick sleepily getting dressed. At least he had stayed out of trouble for the first night, though there was still 13 more for him to cause trouble.

"Hm? You thought I broke the rules? I'm smarter then that... Mostly..."

Kate rolled her eyes but did feel more relaxed, knowing Castle hadn't gotten into trouble. Her next thought was something had happened to Lanie, and she sped out of their room, still clad in her pajamas.

"Kate-Kate you're not even dressed- Oh I give up. It's probably some dumb joke. If Kate wants to run around in pajamas, I can't stop her"

Rick threw his hands up in the air and let his wife run off Meredith's death had just been some freak accident, he would have to start planning the huge funeral she would have wanted. The one she deserved.

"Oh thank god you're ok Lanie. I was worried-"

"Kate, you know I could beat up anyone who tried to come at me. You should worry more about mister 'Rules aren't meant to be broken' writer boy"

Kate laughed and threw a pillow at Lanie.

"That writer boy happens to be my husband! Besides, he was the first one I checked on. He was very sleepy but alive."

Just then Ryan and Esposito, still wearing their pajamas, strolled into the room.

"So you ladies didn't happen to break any rules, did you? Because I'm sure I could think of a good punishment for Lanie-"

This time it was Lanie who threw the pillow, and judging by the loud "oof" that came from Esposito, she had thrown it extremely hard.

"At least I don't reach for my gun every time I hear a voice"

Ryan snickered as Esposito mumbled something about Rick and killer robots.

"Jenny's back in our room, ready to burst into tears, so we should gather everyone and discuss last night, and find out who got punished, and for what"

Kate sat on Lanie's bed and began going through a list of everyone.

"Has anyone seen Martha yet?"

"I saw her grabbing another bottle of wine just a few minutes ago. Actually, I could use a drink if I keep Jenny waiting any longer"

Ryan wandered off in the hopes of finding Martha before his wife found him.

"Remind me to never get married, I enjoy my freedom. But there is at least one women I wouldn't mind sharing my bed with."

Esposito winked at Lanie, who's only response was to give him the glare. She didn't take well to pick up lines this early in the morning.

"Do we know where Alexis is?"

Esposito grinned as he looked at Kate.

"She was wandering the halls in bunny pajamas. Funny, she mentioned that they were yours."

Kate blushed threw Esposito a glare. She couldn't lie, but she could keep him from ever bringing it up again.

"That leaves Victoria, do we have any idea where she happens to be?"

Everyone was silent, looking around at each other and shrugging.

"I'm not gonna be the one to wake her, if she's asleep I say leave her be"

Kate nodded her agreement, anyone who dared wake Gates was very brave, And had a death wish.

"What if it was Victoria who got punished-"

Just then, Jenny popped int the room.

"No way, it's not Victoria."

Esposito gave her a look, not liking being challenged.

'Oh really, how do you know?"

"Victoria makes rules, she doesn't break them. Duh"

Esposito began to mock Jenny, and Ryan punched him.

"Dude, don't make fun of someone's wife. Not cool"

"Ok boys, now is not the time to fool around"

Kate stood up, ready to go find Victoria herself.

"She's the only one we can't find, it's possible that Victoria is the one that broke the rules-"

"You know if there was a rule about talking behind your boss' back, you would all be breaking it right now?"

Victoria casually walked into the room, and suddenly everyone became fascinated by their shoes

"Now you know where I am, and I can tell you that I followed whatever rules this host has in mind. "

Everyone gave Victoria an apologetic smile, just as Castle wandered into the room.

"Hey, no one told me we were having a get together in this room. I've been trying to find someone to ask if they've seen Giles. I was really looking forward to breakfast..."

The room was quiet as everyone remembered the only other person who hadn't been accounted for.

"Didn't that voice say something about a room near the kitchen?"

Victoria was already walking out as she said this, and Rick scrambled out of her way.

"I think she's right, we should go check that out."

Everyone followed Kate out the door, and quickly caught up to Victoria.

"Hey, where's everyone going?"

Martha bumped into them in the hallway, already holding a wineglass of course.

"We're trying to find Giles, no one's seen him."

"Was anyone going to tell me, or did you not want to drag the children along?"

Alexis suddenly appeared behind Rick, causing him to jump.

"Well now you know, so it's fine"

Further down the hallway, they met Jenny and Ryan. Everyone was now gathered around the room, looking like a bunch of kids about to enter the principals office.

"Since you're all babies, I'll do it. If this is some sort of sick joke, I'll personally chase you all out of New York."

Victoria turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door. The room was dark, and everyone slowly wandered in.

"Giles, Giles are you here? We've been looking all over-"

Victoria flicked on the light switch, and Alexis screamed.

Giles was on the bed, next to Meredith, a knife sticking out his chest. A piece of paper laid by his feet.

"Is that fake? Please tell me it's fake.."

Ryan looked like he was gonna puke, and Lanie shook her head.

"He's been dead since midnight, he died from exsanguination."

Everyone stared at Lanie, their faces blank.

"In simple terms, he bled out."

There were Oooh and Ahhh's throughout the room.

"Is anyone gonna read that note?"

Jenny asked, looking around.

Rick grabbed it and began to read.

 _ **"Giles tried to expose who I am,**_

 _ **And ended up in a little jam.**_

 _ **Breaking the rules cost him his life,**_

 _ **yet anyone can wield a knife.**_

 _ **One of you has all the power,**_

 _ **but who was it that turned sour?**_

 _ **Be warned, those who break the rules will be punished just like my friend Giles here.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Your Host."**_

Everyone looked at each other, unsure what to think.

"Who has power? Who's sour? I'm so confused."

Jenny sank to the floor, her head in her hands.

"Why would they leave us a note?"

"Is there a secret code?"

Why would anyone want to hurt Giles?"

"Now who will cook for us?"

Everyone was asking questions, no one getting any answers.

"Guys, we're getting nowhere. Take a deep breath, and figure out what our first move should be."

Everyone became silent when Kate spoke.

"Does that mean...One of us did it?"

Esposito glared at Rick, who threw his hands in the air.

"Woah, don't star looking at people like that. We should all just go to the dining room and at least have some coffee and pancakes, then discuss everything. There must be a simple reason for all of it."

Kate nodded, and everyone else followed her lead. Whatever happened, they would find out.


	5. Can Anyone Survive on Pop-Tarts?

AN: I AM SO SORRY I'M LATE but I haven't been sleeping and a lot of stuff is going on and blah blah blah. This is just a quick setup for the next chapter, so I apologize. I promise to update next Saturday, and it will be a longer and more interesting chapter. Hope you are all having a great summer, and don't forget reviews are an author's favorite gift.

Chapter 5: Can Anyone Survive On Toaster Waffles and Pop-Tarts?

There was uneasy laughter for Rick's joke, everyone feeling nervous about what could happen to them.

"But why would they leave a note, why not just leave the body? It doesn't make any sense"

Espoito frowned as he tried to figure out what exactly had gone on in the past few days.

"You know, we all have something that would help us be a killer and hide it-"

Kate punched Rick's arm and gave him the death glare.

"No one here would kill anyone! We just have to stay quiet for a few days and keep out of trouble until the boat comes back for us."

"Well you never know how far people will go. Sometimes they just...Snap."

It was Jenny's turn to pipe up from the end of the table, still looking as confused as she had at the start of the morning. kate was surprised she hadn't already burst out crying.

"Can't we just do something to distract ourselves? I can't stand to think about any of this anymore."

Alexis' eyes were still red and puffy from hours of crying, and she looked like she was ready to crawl into a corner and stay there.

"You know, the girl's got a point. Lay low, get out of here, then get the police to solve this mess."

Lanie put her arm around Alexis to try and comfort her. The mood in the room had gone from awkward to gloomy, making everyone uncomfortable.

"Or we could look for whoever organized this whole thing. They should be punished for what they've done, and we need to get out of here as soon as we can."

Ryan finally spoke, Kate had almost forgotten he was there. She thought over what he said, not sure if he was right or not. Finding the host would make everyone feel safer, but could also be dangerous. She didn't want someone else to get hurt, but didn't want everyone to be scared until the boat came back.

"We'd have to stay in groups. I've seen enough horror movies to know what happens to people who go alone"

Everyone looked at Gates, and she scoffed.

"What? Your boss isn't allowed to like horror movies?"

Everyone shook their heads and felt embarrassed.

"If we do that, I call Kate! And Victoria. They can protect me from whatever horrors exist in this house"

Both Ryan and Esposito looked extremely offended, Gates rolled her eyes, and Kate ignored Rick's look of triumph.

"Seriously? Dude, how could you betray us for them? No offense Kate and Victoria, but I think we'd do a much better job taking care of Rick. We know how to control him-"

Kate smiled, and twisted Rick's ear so he started twisting and screaming.

"Actually, I think Rick listens the best to me. Don't you agree Victoria?"

Victoria nodded, and turned to faced Esposito and Ryan.

"Don't forget, I could always make you guys clean my doll collection, if you really think you're better then I couldn't put you in the danger of working on cases with Kate and Rick.."

Both Esposito and Ryan gasped, shaking their heads wildly.

"No no no! Sorry Rick, but you can stay with the girls. Those dolls will give us nightmares."

"It's almost noon, don't you think we should clean up these dishes? I think we've had enough talk about this for today."

Everyone agreed and began to clear the table of all the dishes and food.

"Wait, who's gonna cook if Giles isn't here?"

Both Alexis and Kate raised their hands, and Rick let out a sigh of relief.

"What? You didn't wanna live on toaster waffles and pop-tarts?"

Esposito snickered and Rick sent him a death glare.

"If you don't wish this house to go up in flames, then you guys are gonna have to cook. Plus, you loved me too much to let me starve"

Rick looked at Alexis and Kate with puppy eyes, and they both grumbled.

"Now we can all just relax, we've done enough for today. Right?"

Kate nodded and looked at Rick.

"We should all just go read or something, and keep out of trouble. Me and Alexis can make lunch in a few hours, I'm sure Giles left us a pantry full of food"

Rick was already running off to go get into some kind of mischief, and Kate ran after him. Ryan curled up on a couch in the living room, and fell asleep quickly. Jenny sat on the couch, engrossed in a book she had found in her room. Lanie started writing notes for the police once the get out of here, and Esposito did pushups in front of her like that was gonna make he suddenly fall in love with him. Lanie just pretended not to notice, though she had to admit it wasn't a bad sight to see. Victoria wandered off to her room, probably to go check on her dolls or something. Alexis sat in the dining room and sketched, her headphones plugged in and music turned up to the max.

Martha decided she needed to get out the house, and grabbed her sunhat and a water bottle before heading out. The gardens looked interesting, and were sure to leave her relaxed.

Martha didn't know just how relaxed it would leave her.


End file.
